Persona 3: Free Every Spirit
by hydro-serpent58
Summary: When the Fool died, the Priestess wept and the Lovers cried out. The Empress roared and the Magician wailed. The Emperor screamed while the Aeon stared on in despair. And amongst the chaos, who should it be to witness this event? Why, the Justice of course.
1. Memento Mori

**Persona 3: Free Every Spirit**

_By: hydro-serpent58_

* * *

**Kari: Okay, to be honest I have no idea where I'm going with this. I was just sitting down doing my homework when this **thing** attacked me, and it wouldn't let go. So I dropped my textbook and began to write this. I apologize if it's really vague or you have trouble distinguishing characters. I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this, but it had to be written. Whether or not I continue depends on you guys, so tell me what you think, okay? ^_^**

**Disclaimer: Atlus owns the Persona as well as every other Megami Tensei Franchise. Sadly, I am not affiliated with that company.**

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Memento Mori**_

"_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed.  
To find the one true path, one must seek guidance amidst uncertainty..._"

—Nyx Avatar

How...how could you die? A brown haired girl stared numbly as paramedics rushed unto the school campus. The world seemed muted and blurred, in the distance the sound of wailing sirens were heard. She could barely make two girls crying in one corner. One dressed in pink and the other in teal, one screaming hysterically and the other giggling softly.

A boy with a baseball cap looked on in alarm as the chuckling grew louder and louder until it was full blown laughter. The shorter girl was on her knees at this point, tears spilling out of her eyes and a maniacal grin on her face. "He's dead...hah, ha, dead. Ah hah, ahahaha! HE'S DEAD!"

A silveret moved forward and hulled her to her feet just as the girl exclamations joined the other. Who was that boy...an upperclassman?

As a familiar tall girl stepped into view it was then she realized. These people...they were his friends.

They were S.E.E.S..

-o-

Akihiko cringed as he struggled to hold a mad Fuuka in his arms. "Dang it, Fuuka, Fuuka calm down! Freaking out isn't going to make any of this better. Fuuka, FUUKA!"

Meanwhile another boy had his arms full, "Aigis! What's going on? How could have happened?!" The archer screamed.

The android stood there undeterred, never taking her eyes off the sleeping boy. For that was what he appeared to be, sleeping. With midnight blue hair shining in the sunlight illuminating his skin, a peaceful expression adorned his face.

As the paramedics moved in she answered in a quiet yet firm voice, "Look at him. He's smiling, because he knows you're here. He knows that you're all here, beside him."

As his body was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled away, the platinum blonde finally tore her eyes away as they disappeared from view. Sorrowful yet murderous hazel clashed with tired sky blue orbs that held a strange note of grim acceptance in them.

"I promised that I'd always be beside him, protecting him." She whispered brokenly, allowing a tear to fall.

It was too much, Fuuka laughing in the background, the sirens in driveway, the flashing lights, and now this?

She snapped.

"Oh really? You think this is all about YOU?" Yukari demanded. "So what if you promised? You obviously broke it by letting him die. What kind of protector are you? He'd already stopped breathing by the time we got up here!"

Cloudy blue eyes met hers as Aigis shook her head miserably. "No... you're wrong. He stopped breathing just as you all arrived."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL THE FREAKING AMBULANCE?! Why'd you wait huh? For us to call them instead? What were you trying to do huh, attempt CPR? Because in case you haven't noticed you're not human, there's no lungs in you to be able to breathe air into Minato!"

The robot stumbled back as if she had been hit with a sludge hammer. She stared wide eyed as Yukari continued ranting, as word nailing the lid harder into the coffin.

"YOU'RE NOT HUMAN, YOU HAVE NOT HEART!"

"STOP IT!" The swordsman threw himself in between the females looking back at Yukari crossly.

"Yuka-tan, you know better than that! Aigis does have a heart; she has emotions, thoughts, memories—she might be made of metal, but in terms of character she's just as human as you and me!" Junpei spat feeling irritated and bewildered.

Honestly, why were all of them breaking down? Aigis never cried; and Fuuka was going insane.

_Minato had sat himself down in the lounge, currently reading a magazine. Junpei, now fully dressed, sat beside him and began a conversation._

_"S'up, dude." He smiled at his evidently best friend._

_"…not much." Minato replied, tossing the magazine aside._

_"Listen, I'm really glad you were there earlier. The group going against one another is clearly nothing but trouble, and it's kind of my fault. You handled it really well, though. It's great to have you around as the rational one, if that makes sense." Junpei sighed._

_"The rational one, huh? I can live with that."_

_"I don't know what we'd do without you. We'd prolly fall apart instantly, I'd guess." Junpei smiled weakly._

_Minato put his hand on Junpei's shoulder. "That's not true. You'd do fine. At any rate…_

_"I'm not going anywhere."_

He felt a lump form in his throat as his eyes began to sting.

Minato you liar.

-o-

The boxer cursed as the younger girl once again slipped out of his grasp. What the heck? When did she get this difficult? He thought biting his lip, unaware of a third party watching.

Suddenly a chill ran up his spine causing him to freeze. A quick glance at Junpei confirmed he had felt it too as the other persona user had also stilled.

Laughter and screams of accusations and denial were abruptly cut short.

A loud silence filled it.

-o-

The outsider watched quietly as her sempai—no, the student council president stood at full height. Both of her hands were still in the air, on one side the crazy girl had a clear mark of a handprint across her cheek, the girl opposite to her had the same thing.

Both had mirroring expressions as they stared the regal English woman in shock. [1]

"Now," Mitsuru spoke lowering her arms. "will I have to slap you both again, or shall I just execute you?"

When all she was met with was a dumb silence, she continued. "I cannot believe both of you, are you even listening to what you're saying? Yukari you're angry, I understand. We were all close to Minato, and even I do not understand his death. But blaming Aigis and accusing her of not having a heart when she grew one is unspeakable! She is very much human, and she fought alongside us facing herself in order to get that heart."

At every word the anger seemed to dissipate out of Yukari's form as she wilted, looking thoroughly chewed out. "Sorry Mitsuru-sempai..." She murmured eyes downcast.

She then turned to Fuuka, "Fuuka, pull yourself together. Losing your mind at a time like this more trouble than it's worth. Do you think Minato would want to see you this way? Laughing crazily like you belong in the loony bin?"

Fuuka flinched shying away, having the decency to look ashamed. Relief flooded everyone as the wild look in her eyes disappeared replaced by a sad, yet very much sane Fuuka.

The scarlet haired lady let out a stressed sigh while Akihiko and Junpei looked at her in worry. The speech itself seemed to have taken a toll on her, and on top of that, Minato...

"Excuse me, Miss? Are you Kirijo Mitsuru, the one who called us?" A voice of a young man spoke up breaking the tense atmosphere. Schooling her features Mitsuru turned towards the medic and answered professionally. "Yes, that is correct." Yet, without mistake there was an air of grief surrounding her.

While Mitsuru spoke to the man Akihiko felt his shoulders slump as the severity of the situation hit him.

_It was after school, and the auditorium was empty. On the stage were multiple flowers and scented candles. In the middle of it all, stood one lone picture._

_Akihiko stood up to the the white clothed table and stopped, staring at the photo._

_"Yo." he spoke breaking the silence. Placing his hands on the furnished wood he hauled himself up unto the stage. "I had the usual for lunch..."_

_He cracked a grin, "Ramen tastes a lot better when you're cutting class. Make sure you invite me next time."_

_Silence._

_The smile slid off, "Say something, will ya? Why are you always like that? You're so stubborn. Put yourself in my shoes for a change."_

_A dry chuckle left his throat, "You think it's the other way around, huh? I guess you're right...I was too obsessed with power. Ever since I've lost Miki that's all I've cared about."_

_"I thought that if I was strong enough, I could protect anyone. But_—_" His breath hitched and he had to fight to prevent breaking down right then and there._

_Gasping, he struggled to complete his sentence. "_—_I was wrong. And now, you're gone too...I'm such an idiot." The gakuran jacket slid out of his grasp as he clenched his fist._

_Without warning he brought down his fist, fast and hard unto the table. __**BANG!**__ The sound reverberated through the auditorium, echoing into the farthest corners. But he didn't stop. Again and again he brought down his fist, muscles toned from boxing - he kept on slamming into the table until he couldn't feel his hands anymore._

_"In battle, there's always a chance of dying...I knew that!" He rasped finding his voice._

_"But... I was so focused on fighting I didn't notice anything else!" He voice continued to rise in volume._

_"It didn't matter how tough I was! Look what happened!" He slumped forward falling to his knees, trembling violently._

_"AAAAHHHHHHHH!" The anguish scream tore through the place, resounding far and wide filling up the air. The pure pain and despair in the heartful cry was gut wrenching._ [2]

_Sobs filled the room as Akihiko choked on air, struggling to breathe. "Y-yeah I know..." He gasped breathlessly._

_"Crying won't change anything will it?"_

_His whisper fell on deaf ears. And he was reminded..._

_He was all alone._

_Sniffling he stood up swiping his arm across his nose, wiping away the tears with gloved hands. "Alright Shinji," he murmured turning around causing his back to face the photograph._

_"You watch from there with Miki. I still have things to do, right?"_

He felt his eyes burn and hands curl into fists. _Damn it... Shinji, I couldn't do it._

He couldn't save a life.

-o-

Aigis stood there in the corner, staring blankly ahead of her. Not a sound was made, fresh tear tracks were visible trailing down her cheeks. Yet, the robot felt as if there was a void inside her. As if the world had stop breathing.

_Just like Minato._

Previously teary eyes were now dull, silent, and broken. She once heard a saying, that people are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.

Too bad hers seemed to have shattered.

-o-

The treasurer stood the side, biting her lip until the taste of copper hit her tongue. Who were these people? They were all so close, so tight knit...

_They belonged with Minato._

She squashed the thought ruthlessly. No...Minato was her friend! So what if he was a part of S.E.E.S., he genuinely cared for her, they went out together, she—she—

_Minato died smiling because he knew they were going to be beside him._

No... no that's not true. That's not...

_He heard them coming..._

No...

_His last smile was because of them, not because of you._

NO!

The sophomore tore herself away, pivoting and running blindly back down the stairs. She ignored the startled cries of the people she bumped into and continued flying down the stairs. She had to get away, away from the rooftop. Away from—

—_where they first kissed._

Her vision blurred as she burst out the double doors; already many students had been drawn outside from the noise cutting the graduation ceremony short. Not that the S.E.E.S. dramatic exit had done any better, especially with Mitsuru knocking over the mike mid speech and leaping off the stage to race out along with the strange group.

Slowly, she came to a stop. Panting she leaned against a wall for support, looking up just noticing where she was. She hadn't been paying attention to where she'd been going, and unconsciously her feet had brought her back here, to Iwatodai.

_Where they first dated._

Turning, she spotted a table far off in front of the restaurant. It had a beautiful view of the ocean, and the sun's rays cascaded on the waves giving it the appearance of it glowing._ This was where..._

A familiar shop stood out amongst the others. It was a book store, looking tranquil. As if nothing was wrong, nothing had changed, and everything was alright. And it was so wrong because everything had changed. She had changed.

Sobs racked her body as she slid down and curled into a tight ball against the sidewalk. Trembling, yet not a soul was on the streets today. It was a ghost town.

_...she had first confessed._

* * *

***A/N: **[1] In the original Japanese version, Mitsuru uses English phrases instead of French verses.

[2] Heartful Cry, get it? It's a reference to the OST from Persona 3, if you've never heard it before I suggest you listen to it!*****

**Memento Mori - "Remember you will die" in Latin**

~hydro-serpent58


	2. Reminisce

**Persona 3: Free Every Spirit**

_By: hydro-serpent58_

* * *

**Kari: Thank you for the support! =D Anyways, I'm not going to lie. When I played the game Chihiro creeped the heck out of me. It didn't help that in the Animation, she was still a stalker. O_O However one of the things I liked about her was how innocent she was, compared to the other girls who wanted to be alone with the MC to do "things" she just didn't want to be alone. There's evidence of this because whenever you spent time with her, it said 'tender moment' whereas with other girls it'd say, 'you spent a long time together' implying they did stuff. So, this chapter will reflect Chihiro's innocence because let's face it, she dreams about fluffy moments like holding hands. Not about spending time in a bedroom.**

**Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Persona, but I do own this story.**

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Reminisce**_

_"__Today, once again, I wander all alone  
Clutching my little dream to my chest_

_We're all searching, longing for tomorrow's light  
Struggling with ourselves_

_Even when I feel lonely, even when it's hard  
Someone is watching me"_

—Heroine, Nami Tamaki

_The skies bled ashes and hailing wind wisped through the mist. The air was alit with an eerie red glow, bathing everything within its light. A sense of foreboding hung in the air as the crimson sands of time clashed with the blue moon..._

* * *

A pair of hazel eyes cracked open as sunlight filtered in through the cracks in the curtains. The room was relatively small and had a 'nerdy' feel to it. The far walls were aligned with book shelves filled with countless novels and manga, each sorted systematically. Next to the bed was a small, furnished desk. The surface was clean except for a forgotten book left open to a random page. By the looks of it, it was merely the third page.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't been able to concentrate at all yesterday. In frustration she had carelessly dumped the book unto the desk and collapsed unto the bed before falling into a fitful sleep.

The girl laid there for a moment, before forcing her body to sit up. The mattress creaked in protest as she slid off and padded across the room to the exit.

Coming into the hallway she went downstairs and slipped into the living room. Passing through she entered the kitchen intent on making some morning tea. On the coffee table outside, was a newspaper. It was worn and looked like it had been read multiple times and certain sentences were underlined in pen. The headlines read: "**Beloved Prodigy's Death at Graduation"**. Below it depicted a handsome young man with silvery gray eyes staring into the camera. A slight, subtle curve of the lip was the only indication he was smiling, yet it just added to the charm.

Chihiro tilted the teacup upwards and slowly sipped the green tea. Green tea with honey, to be precise. Her eyes wandered to the newspaper article and felt her stomach drop. It had been a week since...the _incident_ occurred. The media had been all over it, it certainly didn't help that Minato had practically befriended _everyone_ in the school. Everyone seemed to have a story where he had helped them in some form or another, and it made the story even more sorrowful because just about everyone was willing to testify about just what a great person he was. From a little girl saying her dream was to marry him to an old monk wishing he could've shared one last drink with the pre-teen for changing his life for the better.

The ex-treasurer placed the cup in the sink before moving towards the stairs. It was time to go out.

-o-

The bespectacled girl walked noncommittally through the streets. Unsurprisingly, it was pretty quiet. Many students had gone on vacation or had taken a trip to visit their families for the summer. A humorless smile tugged at her lips. Family? Hah, as if.

They didn't support her; she had worked hard by herself to get into the school. By scholarship no less. But did they care? No, they'd called her an idiot for entering a co-ed school instead of an all-girls one considering her little _problem_.

It had been a slap in the face.

Luckily, Gekkoukan had dorms, and during her stay she'd managed to rent out a vacation home from a couple that was going to stay in a small rural town called Inaba. It was quite vast for just one person living in it, and held an air of loneliness every time she opened the door.

Her instinctual called of, "Tadaima!" was always met with silence. But that changed, the day she met _him._ [1]

The new junior absently crossed the street when the light changed, ignoring the people walking around her. It had become a normal occurrence...going somewhere and yet not actually being _there_. The world was foggy and muted, the same sensory you'd feel if you never slept. But Chihiro didn't sleep, she _dreamed._

And in those dreams strange things would occur, but her mind would be so fuzzy and muddled in the morning she wouldn't be able to recall it. At first she passed it off, but this was different. Theses dreams were _persistent_, and she couldn't help but feel that they were trying to tell her something.

_Just like her dreams of __**him**__..._

She would blink and find herself in new places. Blink. She was in the park watching the migrating birds return. Blink. She was waiting at the bus stop listening as some business man began ranting about how an up and coming chain called 'Junes' was going to take the industry by a storm. Blink. Toriumi-sensei was thanking her for writing that protest letter about student x teacher relationships to the school newspaper. Blink. She was traversing through Iwatodai, trying to avoid bumping into people. Blink...

_Huh. I'm still in the streets..._

Soon a familiar shop came into view. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she ducked into the shop. The rusty scent of paper met her nostrils as she entered. With practiced ease she navigated her way through the aisles until she reached the section selling manga. Hovering over the stand her gaze locked unto a certain illustration collection.

_A young girl with chestnut colored hair stood nervously in the middle of the room. The room itself was pretty small yet with the new comer's appearance, the room felt oddly cozy. The treasurer appeared to be hiding something behind her, while a young man sat cross legged on the matt in front of a neatly tided bed. He seemed calm about the situation despite the girls' obvious discomfort._

_"This is the illustration collection I wanted... Remember?" Chihiro spoke haltingly, however her face brightened when Minato nodded in encouragement. "I bought all three, I blew my whole allowance... but it was worth it!"_

_She paused, "...Um, this book was done by the same artist. Would you like to borrow it, if you're interested...?" She said hesitantly, wincing as she just realized the genre of the manga._

Oh no, he probably won't want it! _She thought with her heart sinking. Glancing up she noticed her was watching her, patiently waiting. She bit her lip._

Just roll with it girl. _She took a deep breath. "Just promise to think of me when you read it..." She spoke in an oddly steady voice before thrusting the manga out in front of her. She didn't dare look up least she see his disgusted expression..._

_"Thank you."_

Wait, what?

_Startled, Chihiro looked up and was met with stormy grey eyes, filled with gratitude. "Um, n-no problem..." She stuttered._

_"I-I mean, I've read it so many times that I've practically got it memorized!" She laughed nervously before carefully handing over the manga._

_She was so preoccupied she didn't even notice the sun going down. However, Minato did and one quick glance at the window confirmed his suspicions. Standing up, Minato headed for the door._

_Chihiro's head shot up as he approached the door. "W-wait!" She cried out, startling both herself and Minato._

_The boy paused, and turned around raising a silent questioning eyebrow. The sophomore swallowed, before plowing forward, "I've heard there's been assaults on women in this area... I-I really don't want to be alone..." As she continued talking her voice grew softer and softer._

_"Please stay, just a little while longer..."_

_"Lock your doors."_

_"P-please! I-I only told you that story just to get you to...!" She cut herself off realizing how desperate she sounded. Looking up, she steeled her courage and took the plunge._

_"I want you to stay Minato-san!" She exclaimed paying no heed as he jerked, startled at the resolution._

_"I know I'm being selfish... I'm not like you, Minato-san, you're such a great person and you make those around you happy too. I wish I could have you all to myself..." She spoke, hating how true those words were._

_"So, please grant me this one last wish..." Chihiro bit her lip, knowing how popular Minato was; it was obvious that other girl's vied for his attention. And why not? __Seitokaicho-san__ had no qualms meeting with him alone in private_. [2]

_Yet..._

_"Please...for this special moment, think only of me." She spoke with resolve, looking him straight in the eye._

_Then, without warning Minato stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Chihiro froze, stunned. "M-Minato-san?" The brunette whispered unsure._

_In response the junior chuckled, resting his chin atop her head. "When I said, 'Lock your doors', I wasn't talking about the front entrance..."_

_Chihiro stood there for a moment uncomprehending, before a full bloom blush enveloped her face. "O-Oh..." She muttered, her face turning an unknown shade of pink when Minato's amused gaze met her own._

_"Yeah, that." Maneuvering her with skills she'd never seen before, the midnight blue haired teen easily locked the bedroom door without looking before Chihiro found herself being gently laid on the bed._

_She blushed prettily, biting her lip unsure as the boy hovered over her. "Minato-san, I... I'm not_—_"_

_"It's okay." He soothed, leaning down. He gently pressed his lips to her forehead, causing her heartbeat to speed up before dropping down next to her._

_The next thing she knew she was curled up next to him, cuddling into his chest. "Minato-san...it's so warm being near you..."_

_"Hn." He murmured just as his eyelids slipped shut._

Tearing her gaze away from the collection her hand shot out and groped at the first novel she saw. It was at that moment a hand fell on top of hers. Looking up hazel orbs clashed with dark brown irises. _A guy._

Instinctively she yanked her hand back as if she'd been burnt. At the same time the guy appeared startled and ended up dropping the other books he'd been carrying.

"Fushimi-san?"

"Odagiri-san?"

Noticing the books strewn across the floor the ex-treasurer felt guilt stab at her. "I'm very sorry." She muttered bending down collecting the books. Kami knows how many times she'd tripped and dropped stuff in front of Minato, the last thing she wanted to do was embarrass someone else. [3]

"Aha, it's alright. Thanks." Hidetoshi spoke immediately bending down to help retrieve the books. It was then she noticed the cover, **"Guide to Connecting with Students**?" She read.

"Er, yeah." Looking up she noticed that the Disciplinary Committee's member rub the back of his head looking sheepish. "I didn't tell anyone except...well, Minato-kun..." he cleared his throat uncomfortably without looking at her, "...but, I'm actually planning on becoming a teacher."

The girl's eyes widened. _Wha? A teacher?_ Who would've thought that Mr. Follow-the-Rules-or-Else would want to become a _teacher_?

Wait...she wasn't being fair. After he met Minato, it was obvious the junior had an effect on him. He went from prick to an all-around easy to talk to guy, before Minato nobody even wanted to talk to him... But now, here he stood, with a goal set in his life. He'd found his passion, changed his attitude, and most importantly... she felt like he could actually _succeed_.

_Minato-san, even when you're gone, your influence will never stop impacting people._ She thought fondly with a sad smile. Despite both of them being on the Student Council along with Mitsuru, she'd never actually talked to him. One reason being he was a prat before, and the second... [4]

_My phobia..._ The memory of her jerking her hand away as soon as they touched was still fresh in her mind. She shook her head. _No,_ she thought firmly. _Minato-san helped me get over it, I can do this...I can talk to him._

Steeling her resolve she met his gaze. "You can do it. Minato-san believed in you, and I do too." She spoke holding the book out to him.

He appeared shocked for a moment, before a small rueful small entered his face. "Yeah, Minato-kun does that to people. Makes you believe you could conquer the world if you just put your mind to it."

They shared a quiet laugh together. Chihiro knew that feeling. And by the looks of things, so did Hidetoshi. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Ah," she blinked surprised, "um, actually I just came to see if they had any new manga."

It was Hidetoshi's turn to blink. "You're an otaku?" [5]

Chihiro cringed. "Um... maybe?" She spoke hesitantly, suddenly finding that the floor looked very interesting.

The boy flinched sensing she was retreating back into her shell. "Oh, heh heh, sorry. It's just that you don't look like someone who'd be into that kind of thing..."

_I could say the same thing about you Mr. Teacher._ She thought but ended up saying nothing. She heard him sigh in defeat before he held something out to her. Blinking, she looked at it in surprise. It was a dark blue blind fold with a snowflake pattern on the inside.

"This is...?"

The ex-council member coughed awkwardly, "I actually bought this on a whim. The color scheme just reminded me of..." He trailed off.

And suddenly, Chihiro understood. She just smiled sadly and took the strip of cloth nodding her thanks. Midnight blue and silvery grey...

_Minato..._

"Right. Well," he cleared his throat, "it was lovely talking with you Fushimi-san."

"You too." She whispered, watching him walk away.

She never noticed the sky blue butterfly that fluttered inside the store, landed on the blindfold, and disappear inside it.

* * *

***A/N: **[1] Tadaima – "I'm back." Essentially it's similar to how someone would say "I'm home." When they come back, expecting someone to greet them. It's common in many Japanese families for the person returning to say it and the family members waiting at home to say: 'Okaeri' which is basically, "Welcome back." Or "Welcome home."

[2] Seitokaicho – Student Council President a.k.a. Mitsuru Kirijo. It's a reference to rank 9 in the social link when Mitsuru's like: 'Come to my room tonight.' And Chihiro's like: 'Heck no!'

[3] Kami – A divine being or deity. It's used loosely here, similar to how you'd say, "Lord knows…"

[4] Prat – Just in case you're not familiar with British slang. It's someone who acts against logic and thinks he's self-righteous.

[5] Otaku – A Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly (but not limited to) anime and manga. Depending on how it's used, it could also be a very negative word to describe people who stay at home all the time and doesn't have a life (no social life, no love life, etc.) Usually the person has nothing better to do with their life so they pass the time by watching anime, playing videogames, surfing the internet. If you think about it, it's not really good to be called an otaku if it means you are a total loser who can't socialize with other people except through the Internet.*****

Please review~

~hydro-serpent58


	3. Horizon

**Persona 3: Free Every Spirit**

_By: hydro-serpent58_

* * *

**Kari: Be prepared for a disturbing scene, I'm about to dive into how Chihiro was traumatized in her childhood and how she got her phobia. Not everything is explained in here, but bits and pieces of her life before Iwatodai will be revealed, showing what pressures and experiences caused her to be the emotionally unstable person she was.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Persona, it would be a novel, not a video game. And chances are, it probably would have never sold world wide.**

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Horizon**_

"_We who were living are now dying__ &__ the rattle of bones and chuckle spread from ear to ear."_

—T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land.

_"Chihiro Fushimi! I am your mother, and you will listen to me!"_

The girl squeezed her eyes shut praying that this was all a dream. And that this wasn't happening.

"I-I'm not moving back." She murmured back in a trembling voice.

_"Your school is over, and I know for a fact you are no longer staying in a dorm. I don't know how long you've been holing up in that place, but that is NOT your home. I expected you back for summer holidays to visit the family, do we mean nothing to you?"_

The girl's breathing became ragged as she curled into the covers on her bed. Clutching the phone in dangerously white knuckles, threatening to shatter it. "I..." she paused licking her lips. "Please, I want to stay here." _I don't want to go back._

_"Chihiro, you went to Tatsumi Port Island against our wishes. It's across the country, we __**needed **__you back home to take care of your siblings. Why couldn't you get into Seven Sister's? It's just a prestigious as __Gekkoukan__ and_ _it's closer."_

"I...I'm sorry."

_But I had to get away._

She heard the other woman sniff at her audacity. _"If you were truly sorry, you would be home. NOW. I don't care if you're attached to that place or if you have some stupid boyfriend there, you __**will**__ come back. And if you don't, I will contact that __very__ nice couple and tell them you will not be paying the rent anymore, and if they see you still there when they come back they have the right to sue you."_

The girl's jaw dropped open. "W-what? You can't do that! Listen, I don't know how the _hell_ you got this number, but I have been paying the rent on time and legally got a job. You can't just _take_ this away from me!" she yelled abruptly sitting upright throwing the covers off.

Unconsciously her eyes narrowed and a fierce look entered them, it was a look a certain conniving teacher and council president was all too familiar with.

_"You insolent child! To think, you're the oldest and so called 'genius' of the family. That place is teaching you to be a rebellious brat I see. Very well, enjoy yourself while you can. One way or another, you will come back even if I have to drag you screaming myself. I'll see to it that you're put back in your place."_

The line clicked dead. And the brunette sat there deathly still.

Slowly, tears trailed down her cheeks. Numbness spread through her body as Chihiro stared at the phone in shock. _W-what? _

The sound of the static dial tone got warped as she dropped the phone uselessly. She was going back... to that dreadful city.

What? Why...?

_A little girl with circular, wired glasses dashed down the streets. In the background the sun could be seen setting casting a pallette or orange and pink hues across the sky. Panting, she swivelled the corner and continued running._

_The orange ribbon in her short, auburn hair flapped uselessly in the makeshift wind. _Mom's going to be mad when she finds out I left. _She thought cringing. Why of why did she have to be an idiot and forget her glasses? She'd only realized they were gone after her sister had so kindly pointed it out._

"Hey freak, where are your glasses? Finally decide to let Shuu destroy them?"

_And lo' and behold they were on the bench at the Lotus Plaza, right where she had left them. And now she had to run all the way back crossing the Wards. She sighed._

_Suddenly, the hairs at the back of her neck stood up. Stiffening, the child glanced over her shoulder and felt her heart drop. _

_She gasped recognizing the blue uniform. _Oh no... _Students from Kasugayama High, a.k.a. the school __renowned for accepting delinquent students, usually expelled from other schools. The reform instution._

Why are they here?! They're supposed to be in Hirasaka! _She mentally screamed. Panicking, she sped up her pace. Behind her, two highschoolers also sped up the pace. Forcing herself to calm down, she slowed. They too, slowed down. _

_She bit her lip as she crossed an avenue. _What should I do? _Turning_ _the corner her eye spotted an alleyway come into view. _This connects back to the Aoba Ward, I may be able to lose them here.

_With that in mind she sharply turned left and as soon as she entered the alley she broke into a run. The sound of cursing met her ears as she disappeared from view, but that didn't stop her. Zig zagging left and right she tried her best to throw off her pursuers while trying to remember the correct way to get out. _Okay, if I go straight here and turn left it'll lead into another intersection, all I have to do is keep returning to that same intersection until they tire out.

_A cold voice broke her thoughts, "Well well little girl, diving into an alleyway wasn't the smarteset idea."_

_She stumbled to a stop as a deliquent clad in blue stepped out from behind a dumpster. Her face turned sickly pale as he stood in front of her blocking her way, behind her the footsteps were getting louder. She could smell the liquor on him as she wrinkled her nose. _Of course... running inside a shop and requesting security would have been a better option.

_As he stepped forward she made a split second decision and dove right. His fingers grazed her arm as she dodged, but she shook him off. She could hear the mans' voice calling her back, but she ignored him._

_So caught up in the adrenaline, she missed the intersection and forgot to backtrack. It was only when she nearly slammed into a wall did she realize her mistake. Pushing herself off the wall, she pivoted only to freeze in place._

_"Heh, you run fast." Three boys stepped out of the shadows, the two that were following her from a distance in the back and the slightly older one that had blocked her way before stood in the front._

_"Now, if you give us all the money you have, we'll let you go." One of the guys in the back spoke, in a deceptively comforting voice._

_Chihiro felt like screaming. She was only a child damn it! She wasn't rich, why the heck would she be carrying money? Even if she was, there was no way she'd be carrying a lot. But she couldn't speak, let alone look at them. It felt as if her throat had closed up, and she couldn't breathe._

_All she could do was whimper, and press herself up against the wall she had previously run into._

_"I don't think she has any..." The guy's friend spoke, as if wondering what to do with her._

_"Well, there are always other ways in which she could pay up in." The teen in front grinned, he stepped forward dismissing the way Chihiro flinched and curled into herself, her whimpering growing louder and louder. She was just afraid of him, he assumed totally unaware that she was freakin' __**terrified**__ and was on the verge on hyperventilating. Phobia's did that to people._

_"N-no!" she yelped when he grabbed her causing her to pitch forward. She fell against him getting a huge whiff of his alcoholic scent._

_She flailed wildly as his roaming hands mapped out her entire body, her face flushed brilliant pink when he experimentally tugged at her flat chest. _Oh kami... no please, I don't want this._ She thought frantically. _

_Against her will sobs forced their way out of her closed throat as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She could barely hear the other two talking during the pervert's ministrations. _

_"...I don't know man, I feel like a pedophile, watching this." The one on the left spoke uneasily, averting his eyes from them. He flinched at every sob that escaped the child's lips. This was so wrong on so many levels..._

_The other boy shrugged carelessly. "It was her own fault running in here, we just needed money, it wasn't like we were planning on this happening." He glanced over nonchalantly, "Looks like someone's enjoying themselves."_

_The straps on her overalls had been clipped off and hung uselessly as the denim was shoved down her ankles, leaving only her orange top and revealing her panties to the world. Tears were freely flowing down her face, blurring her vision. Her glasses had been carelessly thrown off in the struggle._

_"No...no! Stop it, I don't want this..." She took a shuddering breath a a calloused hand trailed across her thigh on stopped at her abdomen. Hooking a finger at the bottom of her T-shirt, he began to lift it up._

_"I really think we should go...we shouldn't be watching this."_

_"This kind of thing happens all the time, I wish we could've gotten something out of it, but oh well. I guess seeing first hand is enough." __**(A/N: Think what you want about this...)**_

_Slowly her stomach became exposed, and all she could focus on were those unholy glowing eyes._

You're not human, you're...

_"...a monster." she whispered._

CRACK!_ The sound of a body colliding with cement rang in their ears. "What the—"_

_Before the teen could finish a hand struck out and slammed his face into the wall, instantly K'Oing him._

_The next thing she knew, the man was being pulled off her and nasty curses flew over her head. She didn't register the fact that the two Kasu students were out cold, one with his head bleeding and nose broken from collison with the wall, the other was face down on the floor unmoving. A dark red puddle forming under him._

_What she did know, was that she had to put her clothes back on; and she had to escape. So swallowing her humiliation she pushed her shirt down and pulled her overalls back up in place, snatching her glasses off the floor as her violator was thrown into the space they previously occupied. _

_The man chuckled unnerving the girl as blood slid down his chin. "Hah, so you're the Death Boss eh? What, think you're a hotshot for saving some stupid kid? Well too bad, you're NOTHING. You may think you're an unsung hero, but you're not. Your justice is warped, just like the rest of us."_

_Her eyes widened in fear. _Death Boss? He was considered the leader of the school wasn't he?

_The newly dubbed boss snarled in disgust, "Don't you _**dare **_compare me to you, I'm nothing like you scum!"_

_With that declaration he raised his leg up and brought it down delivering a powerful axe kick. The blue haired boy then turned his attention to the tearful child, causing her to still. "Hey...are you alright?" he asked hesitantly reaching his hand out._

_She bolted._

_Ignoring his cries she ran onwards and out of sight. When she got home, her mother didn't even stop to ask why there were tear tracks running down her face, she was simply sent up to her room and denied dinner. After all, only fools lose their belongings. And Ms. Fushimi would __**not**__ have a fool as a daughter._

_Guess who tattletaled on her?_

The taste of copper flooded her senses as her teeth sunk into her lip. This wasn't... this wasn't supposed to happen! With a frustrated scream she threw the phone up against the wall.

They couldn't just pull her out! This was her _home_ for crying out loud!

Trembling, she forced herself out of the bed and walked across the carpet, staring unseeingly at what was left of the phone. Clutching her arms, she staggered backwards, her back hitting the wall, before sliding down slowly. She curled into herself tucking her head in between her knees.

No... why damn it? Why did she have to go back _there_?

She choked as she rocked back and forth on her heels, ignoring the way the shrapnel of the shattered phone dug into her skin.

She wanted a knight. No, she _needed_ one to come riding in and save her from this nightmare... to bad he only existed in story books while her true prince was gone, in a world she could not enter.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

The ex-treasurer took a deep breath as she entered the Naganaki Shrine. It was late in the afternoon, nearing evening. So it was no surprise to see zero people around. The girl couldn't help but feel relieved being near the holy ground.

Taking a breath, she passed by the jungle gym and opted to sit down on a bench. Leaning back she relaxed and let her thoughts wander. The phone call was still rather fresh in her memory.

_"I don't care if you're attached to that place or if you have some stupid boyfriend there, you __**will**__ come back."_

Her knuckles turned white as she curled them into fists. _What does she know?_

Blankly staring at the sky, she let a tear trail down her cheek.

"Minato-san isn't stupid." She murmured.

"I should say not." A voice said slicing into the silence.

A man came into view. He looked fatigued and haggard, and while he had the body of a high school junior, his worn appearance added years unto him. In fact Chihiro was surprised to see someone like him up and about, he looked like he needed bed rest. Yet...there was this look in his eye, it was the look of someone who'd seriously contemplated the meaning of their existance. And in an essence, had found their own truth.

It was the look of someone who'd had to experiece things far too early, seen and heard too many things, for a child to be exposed to yet.

And with a jerk of horror, Chihiro realized that Minato had the exact same haggard appearance on the day of graduation.

The exact same, tired look in his eye.

_He knew he was going to die._

The man blinked slowly, a surprised look on his face. "Huh? How strange... I couldn't sworn, you were someone else..."

He murmured furrowing his brow, before casting a look around the shrine to make sure. Chihiro sat there frozen, unable to take her eyes off the man. Now that she actually _looked_, he was far too pale, too skeletal. She could see his collar bone peaking out of that sinking skin. And his hair... it wasn't the silvery grey of Minato's eyes. No... it was the old, ash colored hair of someone who'd aged.

_Someone who'd __**died.**_

The man paused when his eyes fell on her hand. "Ah, that must be the reason." he muttered.

Blinking, Chihiro looked down only to see he was staring at the blindfold meticulously tied around her wrist. "His presence is strongly contained in that," he mused. "I wonder why..."

Finally looking up he met her gaze, "My name is Akinari. Forgive me for the mistake, but that blindfold hints strongly of a certain presence...of a man I once knew."

He smiled slightly, it was humorless and cynical, yet at the same time there was something just so calm and _accepting_ about it. There was a detached look in his eye, as if he found the whole world amusing and it was absolutely _laughable_ that people like her existed. Chihiro felt her stomach churn, she felt like she was going to be sick.

"I made a wish...to see him again. But I guess meeting that blindfold is all I'll get." he spoke in a deceptively calm voice yet there was a look in his eye that made her want to run and hide. It spoke of silent betrayal, an absolutely _ murderous_ glint that wanted to _drown_ her for bringing something that reminded him of his friend this to this spot.

Chihiro sat rooted to the spot in fear, trapped in his dark gaze that was burning into her. He seemed to be memorizing her very being, his eyes narrowing as they pierced her soul.

"...Who are you?"

Silence.

The wind swept through sending chills down her spine, in the background the sound of the playground swing creaked ominously. And as the sun set in the horizon it casted long, towering shadows throughout the shrine.

The girl barely registered the fact that the man didn't cast a shadow, infact it seemed as if the sunlight was going _through_ him, as if he were a translucent piece of glass. He had no presence, he hadn't been in the shrine before. She was sure of that. So how...?

Her eyes wandered to his face, taking in the sunken cheekbones, the wiry limbs, and deathly still posture.

_A man who'd already found the meaning of life... and was contemplating the meaning of death._

For a moment, the figure was replaced with a transparent body. Silky pale skin contrasting dark blue locks, a single fringe falling over one eye.

Her breath caught in her throat and her vision clouded as she blinked back tears.

Blink.

The ethereal image of the figure vanished, and instead the mysteroius Akinari stood in its place, glaring at her through calculating eyes.

Slowly, she raised her hand trailing the dark blue cloth behind it. Holding it out in front of her, she locked eyes with the man before her and spoke. "You knew Minato-san."

It wasn't a question.

* * *

***A/N: **Ugh, I edited this and then accidentally clicked refresh before I saved. =_= So yeah... second time I'm doing this... I hate you Internet Explorer. Anyways, Akinari can be scary when he wants to be. O_o Can any of you guys guess where Chihiro used to live? I gave a lot of hints~ Also I already have the next chapter typed up, so please review, feedback is much appreciated! ^_^*****

~hydro-serpent58


	4. Bell Flower

**Persona 3: Free Every Spirit**

_By: hydro-serpent58_

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**Kari: Akinari is a complicated character. Most people see his storyline as being tragic and leave it at that, but he's more complex than that. As such, my interpretation of him will be different than what you're used to.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Persona, I'd make it so all the protagonists met Souji when he was cross-dressing and they wouldn't find out until later he was a guy, but by then they would've already hit on him...and Tatsuya wouldn't mind. xD Psyche, I'd make the manga names be their official names instead of the names the Animation gave them.**

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Bell Flower**_

_"We hate most in others what we dislike to see in ourselves." _

—Anonymous

"You knew Minato-san." It wasn't a question.

"So what if I do?" he challenged.

Chihiro bit her lip as uncertainty filled her. "Why are you acting this way? What did I ever do to you?"

"You're mere existence is enough to make me want to erase you." He responded, his frosty countenance searing into her.

The girl shrank back at his hostile tone. Her existence? Was it because of the kind of person she was or something else?

"H-how did you kn-now Minato-san?" she replied less confidently, deflecting the comment.

"I'm his companion." he replied. Chihiro noted that he used present tense despite the fact Minato was deceased. "Not, a pathetic lovesick fool who's too blinded by 'love' to be there for him when he needed it the most."

A pin dropping could be heard.

"What do you know?!" She cried, rage welling up inside her. How _dare_ he assume he knew. At that very moment any fear left within her was washed away. "You were his friend, so _what?_ That doesn't mean **anything—**"

"I know MORE than you could ever hope to know little girl." he replied cutting her off, his monochrome eyes flashing with deep loathing. "You are NOTHING but an outsider, you revel in wonder of all the things he's done and left behind, ignorant of the fact his gift came at a price."

Stormy grey orbs sharpened and his lips became a thin, firm line. "Don't talk as if you knew him, because you _didn't._ Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem. He became what you expected him to be, and you know why? It's because you NEEDED him to be that way. You don't know anything about his true persona."

The brunette stood there stunned. Her jaw hanging open with her glasses threatening to slip off her face.

"What...what are you talking about?" she whispered, almost afraid of his answer.

"He doesn't show his true self to anyone. He adapts and changes himself to fit whatever another person needs the most, whether it be a big brother or a lover."

His facial expression changed, going into one of mockery. "Of course, being as fairytalistc as you are, I wouldn't be surprised if you thought of him as your prince charming."

The words hit home and the meganekko stumbled back in shock. "See? You're predictable like that. You're just like the others." he growled. [1]

"You're just like **them.** Those who take things as they see it and don't question where it comes from, what was sacrified in order for it to be obtained."

"I—I don't take things for granted if that's what you mean." And she didn't, she appreciated the little things in life. The persimmon tree she walked past everyday at school, the decorations people went through the trouble of putting at the mall around holiday season, and even something as trivial as manga meant a lot to her. They were her escape from reality.

"This isn't about not realizing what you have until you lose it; this is about overlooking what's in front of you. Not bothering to delve in deeper."

It was then confusion settled in. "Digging deeper?"

"People look on the surface, while some see reasons underneath. However, to truly see what you're missing you must look even beyond that."

"I...don't understand." _Going deeper? Deeper into what? _She thought baffled.

"Have you heard of that children's story?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"The one about a pink alligator and bird?"

Chihiro paused, her mind roaming until it clicked. "Ah! You mean the one that was recently published earlier this year? It sold dozens of copies all over Japan, though despite being a children's book it wasn't happy like they usually are."

_It wasn't about being happy._ The man thought but held his tongue. "Did you understand the meaning of the story?"

"The...meaning?" she replied slowly. When she had first read it she had been brought to tears and thought of how unfair it had been for the poor alligator. Internally the analytic part of her mind told her that the story was symbolic and held a greater message than tugging on a childs' heartstrings. But her emotions had been in turmoil at the time and she'd ignored it. Now however, she was greatly regretting that decision.

"The meaning... it was about the alligator..." she said haltingly. "He found a friend but ended up killing him...and in the end killed himself."

Looking up she frowned. "So he found...meaning in his death?"

"Partially, yes." Akinari replied looking off in the distance. "His purpose in life was found in those final moments of drowning in tears, do you know why that is?"

"Because...he was finally with his friend again?" she replied thoughtfully. It made sense, they were both dead at that point, but somehow it didn't seem right.

"The oasis." Chills ran up her spine as he murmured those words.

"He created a beautiful place that other animals enjoyed." The man turned to her. "And the reason for its existence was because of..."

"...his death." she whispered, her eyes feeling moist.

"The other animals never knew where it came from, they just took it for face value and moved on." Soot colored orbs met her damp hazel irises.

"You are one of those animals, you never bothered to question why the paradise appeared.

Never bothered to find out the purpose of his life."

Chihiro stood there dumbly. Akinari's use of the pronoun 'his' was not lost on her. Dimly she wondered, if the alligator and Minato were one in the same...

Crickets could be heard chirping as the sun sunk beneath the treeline. Akinari followed its movement with impassive eyes, before breaking the momentary lapse in silence.

"Oh, I should probably warn you," he spoke casually, "you have a plague hovering over you."

Chihiro stiffened. _Wait, what-_

"Be careful when you decide to sleep, and if you do make sure you have that with you." Looking down she realized he was pointing to the blindfold.

"W-why?"

"With that in your possession, you will gather attention. But at the same time, it will provide protection."

"I...don't understand." It sounded too much like a double edged sword to her.

Meeting her gaze he spoke cooly, "That blindfold is what attracted me to you, who's to say it won't attract other _**things **_as well?"

And he was gone.

She stared wide eyed before whispering, "Odagiri, what the hell did you just give me?"

**▬▬ι═══════ﺤ**

_**"They say at the time of your death, you will hear the bell flower ringing; in the distance..."**_

When Chihiro got up the next morning, the last thing she wanted to do was be reminded of the strange…_occurrence_ that happened yesterday. So she did what any sensible person would do, and went on a walk to clear her mind.

_I was really tired yesterday_. She mused_. I probably just dreamed the whole thing up. Yeah...that's it. I was just tired._ And that was that.

…But just in case, she decided to avoid Naganaki Shrine.

During her walk she felt a tug, as if some invisible force was leading her away. Deciding to listen to her intuition, she followed the pull and found herself heading into the park. At this time of day it was deserted and not a child could be seen, neither running around nor playing on the jungle gym. What she _did_ see, however; was something she'd never want to witness.

Lying on its side was a white shiba-inu. Its fur was matted with mud and stained crimson. It had a metallic collar around its neck that was broken; one side was totally crushed, as if something had _bitten_ it. The broken remains of the collar were embedded deeply into the dogs' neck causing trickles of blood to drip down unto its chest. The previously white miniature T-shirt it was wearing was now unrecognizable. It blended in with its fur and literally _stuck_ to its skin, as if it had been melted into it. The tattered remains of a red armband were found lying near its left leg, and Chihiro was pretty sure it was _not_ supposed to bend like that.

"Wait a second, isn't that S.E.E.S.'s mascot?!" She whispered with dawning horror.

The poor mutt was whimpering in pain, and each whine cracked her heart. The small angel-esque wings on its back were literally _torn_ off, as if something was trying to dismember them. _What could have done this?_ The girl thought feeling terror well up inside her.

A movement caught her eye. Emerging out of the trees, were two obscured shapes. For that was all they were, _shapes_. They had no real form and seemed to be morphing with the shade of the trees as the advanced towards the defenseless canine.

Ring.

The sound of a bell cut through the air.

**|- Please...help him... -|**

As if breaking some kind of proverbial barrier the Chihiro found herself running. Not away, but _to_ the dog. And as she skidded to a halt she only had a moment to take in the glittering blade the sat innocently in the puddle of blood.

「 _**υse the knife**_ 」

Chihiro barely registered her hand move forward. It was as if her body was on autopilot. Her fingers grasped the sticky handle and slowly lifted it. Dark crimson liquid slowly dripped off the blade as it flashed in the sunlight; alerting the two beings of her presence.

As they descended Chihiro felt oddly calm about the whole ordeal. Deep inside she was screaming her head off, yet she couldn't bring herself to move. It was like something was holding her back.

_Something was __**controlling**__ her..._

「 _**stab the left chest cavity**_ 」

She lunged forward. The creature paused startled at the sudden movement, but raised its limb effectively blocking the incoming attack.

「 _**knee it and swing in a wide arc**_ 」

Following instructions, the girl allowed the mysterious voice to guide her movements. So focused on the enemy in front of her, she didn't bother to glance at her hand and see the blindfold glowing softly. As it was, she paid no heed to it.

_Oh Kami! What the freak is going on?! I am going to DIE!_

Ring.

The sound of the windchime ringing met her ears.

「 _**you won't, trust me**_ 」

For some reason hearing those words calmed her down. Tightening her grip on the knife her eyes narrowed.

_Who are you?_

She ducked and rolled out of the way as the second dark figure attacked; throwing what looked to be an appendage at her face.

「 _**an ally, that's all you need to know**_ 」

The new junior felt like ripping her hair out in frustration. What kind of answer was that? The sound of barking caught her off guard. Turning her head, all she saw was black.

And then it moved.

"AAAHHHHH!" She screamed bloody murder stumbling back. Slowly a non-existent hole opened revealing a single eye, instead of white it was red with a yellow iris. And. It. Was. Staring. Her. Down.

「 _**stab it**_ 」

Flailing her arms widely she managed the bat the creature away so it wasn't directly in her face anymore. In her panic she didn't pay attention to how she was swinging the blade and—

The _thing_ let out a loud, deep guttural groan. The vibration of the sound sent light shockwaves through the park. Frozen, Chihiro stared up in disbelief. The knife was deeply embedded inside its eye socket. _Did I do that?_

Rapid barking broke her out of her reverie. She looked up just in time to see the second figure glide towards her; unlike its companion its eye was still closed. Instead, a wide endless void opened where its mouth should be.

「 _**cut it to ribbons**_ 」

Without warning Chihiro wrenched her arm down. At the same time the blade sliced straight through the eye and _kept on going._

_Squelch._ Black blood sprayed unto her face as the creature was literally **cut in two**. The girl watched in sick fascination as the creature screamed in agony, before its carcass evaporated in a rush of dark mist.

She barely felt the thick, sticky fluid sliding down her lip. _Oh Kami...I—I just..._

「 _**behind you**_ 」

Jerking backwards she gasped as the second figure sped in through the mist, hissing in rage at her. Its mouth had doubled in size now; the dark pit looked like it could _**swallow **__her whole._

Suddenly Chihiro's leg moved on its own accord. Sweeping up it delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the face. A loud _cracking_ noise was heard as the figure was pushed upwards with the force of the blow. _What_—_?_

「 _**end it**_ 」

As the creature fell back towards the earth Chihiro pounced. "Omph!" A loud _thud_ jostled them both as they landed hard on the floor, the thing on its back with the ex-treasurer on top of it, pinning it in place. Raising a trembling hand above her, the girl stared as the creature opened its eye to meet her gaze.

_Please...don't..._ Its eye seemed to beg. The girl stilled. _It feels...emotions?_ She thought gawking at the creature, her glasses dangerously dipping at the edge of her nose, threatening to fall off.

That moment of hesitation was all it needed. With a roar it shoved the bespectacled girl of it, causing her glasses to be flung off in the process. Through blurry vision she watched as it got up towering over her, before leaning forward. What she saw made her blood run cold. Its eye...was alight with glee.

_It was laughing at her._

Opening its mouth it unhinged its jaw like a snake, and moved closer. Staring into its gaping mouth was like staring into an abyss, going on forever and ever. And _**she could not see the bottom.**_

_No...it wasn't supposed to end this way..._

She thought tearing up. The salty liquid mixed with the heavy fluid coating her face before dripping into her clothes. "I..."

The creature shot forward, aiming for her face.

**"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"**

A blood chilling scream filled the air, shattering the illusion of a quiet park. Except, the scream didn't come from the girl...

Chihiro stared in shock as the heavily injured dog leapt unto the monster's back, biting deeply into its throat. One paw was digging into the creatures' neck to hold itself upright while the crooked paw was covering the single eye.

The mascot met the girl's eyes and a silent message passed between them. _You can do it._

_But...but how? I mean, I can't do this by myself!_ Chihiro internally wailed, breaking down.

Ring.

「 _**you're not alone**_ 」

She blinked. The dark blue blindfold stared back up at her.

"..."

Slowly she reached forward, grasping the handle in her palm. Standing up, she approached the bucking monster, trying desperately to throw the canine off.

"Sit tibi terra levis." She murmured. _**SHING!**_

And then the world was painted black.

-o-

The girl stood there, in ruined clothes. A thick, inky substance stuck to her hair and clung to her skin. Ironically it was only her blindfold that remained clean.

**|- Thank you... -|**

The image of a teenager appeared wearing a maroon peacoat and a black beanie. He too, had an air of tiredness and seemed older than his age. However, the look in those steel-colored eyes were different. Unlike Akinari's distasteful gaze, his eyes were filled with gratitude and a twinge of respect.

He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. He nodded to her. **|- He always did know how to pick them... -|** He murmured much to her shock.

"Wait, what?!" she cried but the boy faded away, leaving her alone with an unresponsive mutt.

Joy.

And then, she promptly turned around and emptied the stomach contents.

This was _not_ a good day.

* * *

***A/N: **[1] Meganekko – Pronounced _megane_ ("glasses") and _ko_ for "child(子)" but using the kanji for daughter(娘) is a Japanese word which translates to _"glasses(-wearing) girl"_. It is used in its most straightforward way to describe people (female) where wearing glasses can be considered one of their characteristics. It is also often used in anime and manga fandom to refer to geek chic-females who wear glasses, especially when it is considered their most attractive trait. However, it does not automatically mean that the female would not be considered attractive without the glasses. They sometimes have the connotations of geekish or bookish behavior, but in a complimentary fashion.

If you've read my previous fanfics, you'd know that for some reason I NEED to include action scenes. They just occur, and I happen to be good at visualizing them go down. ^^; Please tell me what you think! I'm still trying to get a grip on characterizations, was this chapter too sudden? I need feedback guys, not just compliments.*****

**Sit tibi terra levis - "May the earth rest lightly on you" in Latin**

~hydro-serpent58


	5. Monochrome

**Persona 3: Free Every Spirit**

_By: hydro-serpent58_

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**Kari: For this chapter, you should listen to **Not Tomorrow Piano Version **from Silent Hill, it really sets the mood. Also, this chapter is a bit dark, you have been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own the idea, plot, and writing for this story. Not the characters themselves, unless they happen to be OCs.**

* * *

_**Chapter 5: Monochrome**_

_"Have you ever realized how insignificant your existence is on this planet?" —Haruhi Suzumiya_

The sound of a ticking clock enveloped the room. All was silent and still, as if holding its breath. Outside the men had driven away and the school children had paraded out of sight. Now a self-conscious and stricken silence overtook the neighborhood.

A dense fog shrouded the area, only penetrated by the soft foot-falls of rain. Every woman stayed alone in her house on those days, like a coin in a safe.

"Am I living?" Was the only thing Chihiro could say, during those dark times. When the sun refused to shine and the heavens would not open and bath the world in their eternal light.

In the kitchen she watched the unselfconscious foliage through the screen door, until the trees' spring branches swung lowly in censure. They reminded her of a noose, waving carelessly in the breeze.

It was in this trance like state, the girl forgot herself, sinking into a dim and watery oblivion.

A car passed. Its rush and whine jolted her out of her musing. The sound faded in the torrent of mist, and once again Chihiro found herself falling back. Further and further into the seams of her mind. That is, until the icebox motor kicked on and prodded her hushed brain awake.

"You are living," it said. "It is late in the afternoon, here in the kitchen. And you are in it," it spoke. Or maybe it was the dripping faucet, or maybe the grandfather clock that was bellowing in the hallway. Either way, it was then she remembered, she wasn't the only one in the house. Crossing the ceramic floor she trekked upstairs.

In the guest room the shutters were drawn closed, allowing muted beams to filter through. The room was practically empty, save for a bed and nightstand seeing as Chihiro never had a use for it.

_Until now_, she thought bitterly; quietly closing the door behind her.

And there, laying on the covers was a bandaged shiba-inu. The canine was curled up in a ball, snuggling deeply into the sheets. Its chest rose and fell steadily, and seemed to be content with its tail tucked neatly beneath its chin.

From the looks of it, the dog hadn't woken. Not even once.

Chihiro slumped heavily into the chair she had moved to the bedside a couple days earlier. With a long suffering sigh, she leaned back and intertwined her fingers, studying the mascot intently.

It was a male, from the looks of things. And had been apart of S.E.E.S. if the ripped armband was any indication. She repressed a wince at the thought of the club. Just what the hell did they do anyway? Their activities were never made clear, not to mention the members were always handpicked. They lived in a dorm secluded from the rest of the world and were always together, no matter what.

The two remained still, one in dreamland and the other lost in thoughts. Both drawing comfort from the steady pitter-patter against the glass. Chihiro had always liked the rain, even if she ended up getting sick after the drop in temperature.

It didn't matter who you were, or if you were accepted by those closest to you. Because sooner or later, the rain would fall on you, just like everything else.

**It **didn't play favorites.

And it was like this, stone-faced and solemn, that the ex-treasurer drifted off; mindless of her surroundings.

* * *

_Time streamed in a full flood beside her; tim__e__ roared raging beside her down its swollen banks; and when she woke she was so startled she fell in._

Shortly after the strange encounter, strange things started happening, or rather, had occurred? She couldn't tell anymore. Everywhere she went, she saw _him_. At the arcade she'd see his silhouette slipping in and out of the crowd, in the karaoke she'd see flashes of midnight blue hair on stage, and in the coffee shop her nose would be assaulted by the scent of pheromone coffee, a scent that clung to him like mint and cinnamon. Everywhere she went, afterimages of him were imprinted, whether in the air she breathe or the road she traveled down. He was always there.

Eventually, she was too afraid to leave the house. Because if she left, she'd hear his soft voice echoing down the street. She'd catch glimpses of intense silvery grey eyes, watching her. And it drove her insane, to be able to hear and see him, but to not actually _be_ with him. It was when she started seeing things, did she actually contemplate going back, back to a place called _home_.

But could it really be a home? Or was she just crazy? Lunatics are similar to designated hitters. Often an entire family is crazy, but since an entire family can't go into a hospital, one person s designated crazy and goes inside. Then, depending on how the rest of the family is feeling, that person is kept inside or snatched out, to prove something about the family's mental health.

Most families were proving the same proposition. _We_ aren't crazy, _she_ is the crazy one. Those families kept paying. But some families had to prove that nobody was crazy, and they were the ones who threatened to stopped paying.

Like her family.

Chihiro knew that. She knew that her home wasn't actually a home. She knew that her family wasn't actually a family. She knew that her love wasn't actually wasn't alive. She knew that.

So why did she struggle so much to believe it?

* * *

It was her fault. It was all her fault. A little girl thought, sitting numbly in the waiting room. Outside the doctor was speaking in hushed tones with her mother, but it did nothing to quell her screeches. The only solace she had, was the fact that her sister wasn't there. She was still at school, unaware of what had transpired.

Her clothes were dirty, stained in mud and had streaks of dark crimson in them. The heavy scent of copper permeated through them and hit her nose, causing her to take in a shuddering breath.

Why? Why did it always have to be her?

_"Chihiro sweetie, stay close to Daddy okay?"_

_"Yes Tou-san!"_

Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to block out the images...

_"Daddy? Daddy where are you?" The child asked, clutching her arms, looking around frantically._

Why...why was she so _stupid?_ He told her to stay, and yet...

_"Well, well, what do we have here? A brat who's lost her father."_

_"C'mon kid, let's go find him."_

Why didn't she run away...why did she follow them...?

_"Why hello there, Mr. Fushimi."_

_"Looking for your daughter, I presume?"_

Her breath came out in quick gasps. No...no...

_"Tou-san! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"_

_"CHIHIRO!"_

_Gun shots flew shattering the tension, screams from bystanders created a symphony of chaos. Shrapnel of glass flew slicing her arms and cutting her cheek, and the scent of gun powder overwhelmed her senses. That was when an orchestra of sirens entered the aria._

_"Damn it, retreat! The cops are here!"_

The blood...there was _so much blood_.

_"Tou-san?! Wake up! Please, wake up!"_

A trap. She'd led he father into an ambush. All because of the damn ribbon.

The doors burst open and in stormed her mother, her jaw was clenched and she was shaking rather violently. With quick strides she strode over and towered above the frightened girl.

Leaning forward she grabbed at the front of her shirt, and shook the child roughly, as though she was a rag doll. "This is ALL YOUR FAULT! Why did you run from him huh? Why did you make him chase you? IT'S YOUR FAULT HE'S DEAD. You hear me, _you killed him._"

The next thing she knew, a hand lashed out and struck her cheek. _Slap_. The force of it caused her head to audibly snap to the left, a cracking sound erupted from the sudden jerk in her neck. As pain shot down her neck and into her shoulder, she felt her cheek begin to swell, and knew it would be bruised later.

The woman continued to shout and scream, slapping the girl's face repetitively. Each one caused her head to snap one way and the other, but the accusatory jabs flew over her head. She felt numbness overtake her body, as she mind refused to turn. Instead, a mantra began to echo in her head.

_Youkilledhimyoukilledhimyoukilledhimyoukilledhimyo ukilledhimyoukilledhimyoukilledhim__youkilledhimyoukilledhimyoukilledhimyoukilledhimyo ukilledhimyoukilledhim____youkilledhim______youkilledhim_.

_**yoU. KiLLeD. hIM.**_

She didn't even remember how she got home, all she knew was that one second her mother was smacking at her. And the next, it was her sister that was strangling her. The younger girl's hands had closed in around her wind pipe, and was slowly and painfully choking her.

Through blurry vision, Chihiro saw tears cloud the younger girl's eyes. Her face scrunched up in agony and fury, as she continued suffocate her elder sister. "You're bad luck." She hissed. "You were the one who was supposed to die. Kaa-chan never wanted you. It was Tou-san that told her to keep you, you know. If wasn't for you, it would just be me and Shuu. No one needs you!"

They were interrupted when a loud crash was heard. Slow, heavy footsteps shook the ground and the door creaked open. There stood, a short little boy, smaller than both the girls. He walked over and uneven footing and stopped staring at them blankly. _'Where's Dada?'_ He signed.

"He's dead!" Makoto spat. "And it's all because of Chihiro that he's gone! I told you she brings misfortune, first you and then Tou-san. It's all her fault!"

Chihiro laid there emotionlessly. It was her fault Shuu was like this? _Why not?_ Her mind snarked. _Everything bad that happens is somehow connected to you, if it weren't for you Tou-san would be alive. If it weren't for you, your little brother would be normal._

Shuu blinked slowly, his brow furrowing and a sinking feeling entered her stomach. Shuu wouldn't understand. It was like this every time he lost something, he couldn't comprehend the fact that if something was _broken_, it was _thrashed._ He'd never remember that once he lost something, it was gone for good. Instead he'd look for it. Look and look, until he got aggressive.

Her skin crawled as she remembered the times he'd snapped. Her arms still had the mementos he'd given her, from past fights. He may have been five years younger, but he was strong. Especially strong, when he got angry.

She could see the signs now, eyes distant and wandering. Body language tense. That was when adrenaline spiked through her. Grabbing Makoto's shoulders she roughly pushed the girl off, causing her to topple over. Rolling unto her knees, her head spun as a dizzying motion shook her world, but she forced herself up. Taking in quick deep breathes, she shot out of the room raced upstairs. Slamming the door hard to her room, and locking it.

Below she heard Makoto's yells as Shuu threw a punch at her. Missing, he stumbled forward and hit the table, cutting his temple in the process. The yells turned into screams as the fight raged on downstairs. Swallowing hard, she slid down the door frame and fell down in a heap. She knew, when her mother arrived all the blame would be placed on her.

What kind of elder sister would leave her siblings alone to fight one another? Especially when one had a mental disorder and the other was still reeling in shock from the lost of a parent? Shame filled her at doing such an act, a part of her wanted to go back down there and apologize. Because when it got down to it, she w_as_ bad luck. It _was_ her fault Tou-san was dead. It _was_ her fault Shuu was attacking Makoto.

But she also knew, as soon as she went down everyone would turn on _her_.

Unconsciously, she massaged her neck, without looking she knew that the skin was tinted blue from the lack of oxygen. Her face was an interesting color. A contrast between light and dark, some parts wanting to darken into bruises while others wanting to stay pale because of no blood circulation.

Her hand ghosted over her arms, over recent, scabbing scratches that stretched down the skin. Nothing to worry about for now.

Standing up, she stumbled towards the bathroom and fell over the sink, her eyes taking in her haphazard appearance in the mirror.

_"You are more than the problems you create."_

A dry smirk, appeared on her face as a cynical laugh fell from her lips.

_I'm a coward till the end, Father._

* * *

Hazel eyes slowly fluttered open. The eerie red light of the digital clock told her it was eleven o'clock. She knew, what she had to do.

With a sense of detachment, she got up and unseeingly made her way towards the bathroom. Mind hazy, she only had one clear objective.

Opening up the medicine cabinet, she picked up a bottle. A small, white plastic bottle labeled 'Aspirin'. She just held it there for a minute, in her hands. Staring at it, as if it held all the answers to the universe.

_"It's all your fault."_

_"You're bad luck."_

_**"You killed him."**_

And she swallowed it. All fifty pills.

Things started to blur and whiz, and a sick feeling rose in her stomach, causing her to stagger. A sense of lightness overtook her senses, relieved that she'd managed her peculiar objective. _Everything's going end. _She thought. No more melancholy for this sad, dreary life. It was over. All over.

Somehow she'd made it downstairs despite swaying this way and that, and the entire time she'd unconsciously been holding tightly unto the empty bottle. It was in the living room, that her legs gave out under her. Collapsing heavily, she missed the couch and struck her head on the hard, wooden floor. The back of her skull throbbed faintly, the aspirin working its magic by dulling the pain.

The bottle fell out of her grasp, and rolled away. The lid long forgotten upstairs. As her vision began to fade, she could only smile softly, unaware of the damp wetness pooling beneath her hair.

"Minato..."

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***A/N: I'd like to thank my reviewers:**

**JeeJayMay**

**Guest**

Haha, I'll take that as a compliment! =D Anyways, you may just not be used to reading about Chihiro being placed in these kind of situations. My writing style is different than a lot of people, by which I don't change it to suit the character, I coax the character into adapting the environment I create. From what I've seen, the fics that do focus on Chihiro are entirely different genres than mine, seeing as other authors see her differently. As such, your expectations for a standard fic focusing on Chihiro were shattered because it's not what you're used to. xD And considering the kind of person she is, not many people expect anything great from her because of her personality and since she's a minor/support character. I believe you can take any character and make an awesome story with them to be honest. I'm happy I've surpassed your expectations, and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Oh yes, we get a taste of action before getting slammed back into angst. What do you guys think? I tried to shift styles with this. You have to keep in mind, in the beginning of the game it was hinted that Chihiro was mentally/emotionally unstable before Minato changed her psychologically. Now he's gone, she's going to get better and slip back constantly in this story. It wouldn't be realistic otherwise, would it?*****

~hydro-serpent58


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